Fighting continues around Lyssytchansk, the last major city yet to be conquered by the Russians in the Donbass region. “The (Russian) forces have arrived at the gates of Lysychansk. The Ukrainian army suffers heavy losses”, wrote the Russian Ministry of Defense on Friday, July 1. Russian troops “attempt to encircle our army from the south and west” near this city, confirmed Sergiï Gaïdaï, the governor of the Luhansk region. The situation is “extremely difficult” with bombardments “very powerful”which prevent the evacuation of civilians, he also said on Thursday. Follow our live.
Washington is sending $820 million in aid to Ukraine. The Pentagon on Friday announced new military aid to Ukraine, which includes missiles, shells and anti-aircraft defense tools, to deal with the Russian army in the south and east of the country at war.
At least 21 dead in strikes in the Odessa region. Bomber strikes on buildings in the Odessa region of southern Ukraine have killed at least 21 people, according to regional governor Maksym Marchenko. The Russian army, for its part, did not release a report. “This is deliberate Russian terror and not some mistake or accidental missile strike”denounced President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Kyiv accuses the Russians of having fired phosphorus bombs on Serpents’ Island. “Around 6 p.m., the Russian armed forces twice carried out an air attack with phosphorus bombs on Serpents’ Island”Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhniy wrote on Telegram on Friday. The day before, the Russian army had indicated withdrawing from this symbolic Ukrainian island “as a sign of goodwill”after having “accomplished” them “targets set”.